Expanding Your Comfort Zone And Experiencing New Things

Be Bold. Be Adventurous!

Trying New Things Will Lead You To Live A Richer And More Full Life

It's easy in today's fast paced world to get into a routine in every area of life. The problem with a routine is that you have become used to it and thus there is no need to learn new things because you are just doing the same thing over and over again. When you first start a new job, it's very challenging because everything is new and you are racing to get things done because you do not yet know how to do the essentials. But after several months, those challenges no longer exist. And after several more months, you don't even have to think about it. You just go through the motions because you have adapted so well to your environment.

Adapting to your environment may sound great, but it inhibits growth. If you run 3 miles, 3 times a week, for 30 minutes, your body become used to that and it no longer grows, because it has no need to grow. It has become accustomed to the strain that is put on it. But if you start running for 45 minutes, or running 4 miles in 30 minutes, or running up hill for 15 minutes, now your body has to adapt to the new strain that is put on it. And your body will find a way to do so.

There are so many amazing things that exist in our world. Things that are accessible to us but that are not realized because of getting lost in the routine of daily life. I want to encourage you to take a step outside of your comfort zone. To try something new. You will learn new things and meet new people. Experience always trumps reading. So go experience new things.

Ojigatake Hill in Okayama, Japan. Photo taken by the author of this article, Jeff Pack.

A great way to find new things to experience is by going to www.meetup.com. This site has all kinds of various groups and the bigger the city, the more choices you have. When I lived in Los Angeles, California, I joined a meetup group that was all about the Japanese language. I really enjoyed it. From the first day I went to the group, I had an immediate connection with everyone there, because we all were interested in Japanese. This is who it will be for you when you join a new group. If you want to try hiking and have never done it before, that is ok. When you join a hiking group, you can be assured that the people there are interested in hiking. You will learn a lot about hiking from them and be able to share in the adventures of hiking with them.

So make it a goal to search out and connect with a new group this week. You may be nervous at first, but you'll be so glad that you did. You never know what life has to offer if you don't go out and live it!